The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-08-17
Prohibition in Kansas.

Prohibition in Kansas.
The statement that the city Of 4tehi-
son, Kansas, was compelled TO dismiss its
police force. dispense with the services Of
firemen, and the use Of gas and electric
lights. because the revenue derived from
saloons was cut of by the enactment Of
/ Prohibition, having been published all
over the country. Governor John A. Mar
tin has felt called upon 10 give the public
letter in which he reviews the history
and results Of Prohibition IN that State
It Is an array Of facts that are full Of in
terest 70 those awake To the Necessity of
! a removal Of the fountain of all iniqUity
/ from our fair land The prohibition
amendment to our Constitution was adOp-
I ted IN the autumn Of 1880, and the first
7 laws to enforce il went into effect In MAY
1881 The war 70 banish the saloons was
for some years partially successful. The
amendment had been adopted by very
nleager majority, and the public senti-
ment in all our large cities was overwhel-
I mIngiy against IT, As late ~ January.
lss5, saloons were open IN fully thirty Of
the larger cities Of Kansas. inelu,iiHg
Topeka, the capital OF the State But
steadily and surely the public sentiment
against them spread and intensified. The
small majority that had voted for the
amendment WIS reinforced, first by those
law representing citizens who are always
willing To subordinate their personal opin-
ions 10 the majesty Of law; and, second.
by an equally large number who, observ-
ing the practical results following the ab-
olitiOn of saloons in clties and towns.
became convinced that Kansas would be
a more prosperous, happier and IN all re-
spects better community of people If It
had no open saloon within its borders.
- the sentiment of Kansas against the
liquor traffic has gruwn and strengthen
ed, until, to-day very much doubt
whether, Of its 10000 male voters more
than 75,000 would, if they could, invite
back and reinstate the saloon
One argument of the whiskey interest
viz that saloons promote the prosperi-
" and growth Of a communities-has
been answered in Kansas BY the convin-
cling logic Of facts In 1856 the poPula-
ton Of this State, as shown by the census
was sso, OPS. in March, lss5, as shown by
the state eensus, IL WIS, I,40t, ,7Ss and it
Is now fully l.sJ0p0o. In 1850 Kansas
had only 3,le4 miles Of railway within
her borders on the first Of March last the
State Board Of Railroad Assessors repor-
ted SOS miles for taxation, and frem go
70 500 miles viii be added 10 this aggre-
gate before the close Of the year
MORE STATISTICS
In 1880 the assessed value of all the
real and personal property Of the srAte
aggregated only sI6o.seI. es9 on the
first Of March. 1855, the total was sz77-.-
$1,000, and for the present fiscal year
the returns thus far indicate a total Of
s3ao,1a.000. In iss0 there were 5.513
school houses, 2,5l4 churches and 81
newspapers N Kansas There are now
fully 500 school houses. $500 churches
and 100 newspapers In 1850 only TWEEN
ty-five towns and cities had population
in excess of 1000 each IN lss7 more
than 200 towns have each over 1000 in
habitants, fully twenty-five have over
20,000. In 1sS0 only 7.76s,No0 acres
were planted in crops this year the area
planted exceeds 100000 acres In 1850
the valHe of farm products of Kansas was
only S74.53I, 600: for 1850 their value was
over s254, ,0oa,00o. For the fiscal year
lssO the percentage of STATE taxation was
81 mills for the present fiscal year the (
total pereentrge levied for all state pur-
poses Is only I. mills.
During the past two years and a half I .
have organized seventeen counties in the .
western section Of the State, and census .
takers have been appointed over four
other counties. leaving only two counties I
remainging 70 be organized.
The cities and towns of Kansas. with .
hardly an exception, have kept pace in .
growth and prosperity with this marvel 4
ous development Of the State Many OF .
them have doubled their population dur
ing the last year. And it is i remarkable (
fact several cities and towns Ianguished .
and stood still until they abolished their
saloons. and from that date until the
present time their growth and prosperity
has equaled and in some instances sur
passed that Of other places of equal nat
ural advantages.
Summing up the fIcts of the eensus re-
fiite and conf0und those who assert thar
the prosperity ofany community Is promo
ted by the presence of sai0ons. so far az
Kansas and all her cities and towns are
the reverse Of this asser-
ton. i true. The most wonderful era Of
prosperity Of material, moral and intel
IeteuaI development, OF growth in country
cities and towns, ever witnessed on the
American continent, has been illustrated
in Kansas during the six years since the
tenn perince amendment was adopted,
and especially during the ras- two veaFs.
the period of its NEST energetic and COM
plete enforcement" il